Opening Space at the Bank of
By
(From At Work: Stories of Tomorrow’s
Workplace,
Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.,
The times are changing at the 34,000 employee Bank
of Montreal. Bob Dylan’s song was purchased for a new ad campaign, and they are
opening space all over the organization. There has been at least twelve major
Open Space events over the last two years and many others that have not been
counted. I was involved in two of those events as an external consultant and
have heard stories about the others. Cross-bank meetings on productivity,
divisional meetings, senior team meetings, business unit sessions have all been
held using Open Space Technology. Their own internal evaluation research has
encouraged increased understanding of the process and continued use.
Open Space has had more use in the Bank of Montreal
than in any other large organization in
Institute for Learning
The Institute for Learning was created by Chairman
Matthew Barrett to foster “a Bank that will be able to sustain a competitive
advantage in a world that is rapidly and constantly changing.” He wanted the
Bank to become a learning organization, and knew that traditional approaches to
learning and training were not going to be enough. He envisioned the Institute
as a “nexus for learning...an incubator for new ideas and the focus of the
Bank’s commitment to lifelong learning”. Teams of developers, educators and
line experts work together there to create tools that both support learning and
further the work of the Bank while a “Manager of Meta-Learning” focuses on new
approaches to learning. The Institute also helps the Bank tackle the “wicked problems”--those
that cross organizational boundaries and defy solution.
The Institute recognizes that the desire and
capacity for learning are as important as the learning itself. This requires
personal initiative and self-directed action. Open Space Technology creates the
conditions for both and works well with very large or small groups. This co
The Bank of Montreal’s connection to Open Space
began serendipitously. While at the Center
for Creative Leadership in the
Rush liked what he heard and, with the assistance of
Productivity is one of those “wicked” problems that
crosses all boundaries. In April of 1995, one hundred and fifty people from
throughout the Bank gathered at the Institute for Productivity Forum ‘95. The event, led by
Although the forum was a relatively small event,
there was enough of a critical mass present to have a significant impact on the
Bank. There were no immediate improvements in overall productivity that could
be measured, but a number of small Open Space events, led by forum
participants, began taking place throughout the organization. These events also
fostered a positive shift in morale and energy. People were starting to put up
paper on the wall to create agendas and to address their issues. A new way of
meeting and learning from colleagues was discovered. Stories began to ripple
across the country. Over the next several months, demonstrations of
productivity improvement began to emerge resulting from the initiative of Open
Space participants.
The Institute for Learning wanted to build on this
momentum and arranged a November 1995 workshop entitled “Living in Open Space,”
which brought together those who
shared an interest in the continuing use of Open Space. The weekend event
reinforced interest in Open Space across the Bank and increased the confidence
of executives to try this approach in a variety of settings. It also allowed
some employees to gain skill in facilitating Open Space meetings. For example,
I met
In January 1996, this
executive proceeded with an Open Space event for his first Divisional meeting.
The event was unusual for the Bank because it was truly by invitation.
Divisional managers or staff who usually attended but did not RSVP did not get
to come. The first meeting’s results were so productive that the Division held
its second meeting in Open Space in November 1996.
Other Divisions of the Bank have been following this
lead. In March 1996, I worked with the senior management team in a Western
Canada Division to prepare for a Divisional Open Space in April. The executive
hosting the Open Space was also newly appointed; neither she nor her team had
direct experience with the approach. I led a small, one-day event during which
they explored the challenges and opportunities for leading the shift to a sales
focused culture. This small event consolidated that senior team in surprising
ways, preparing them for the larger event. One vice president said that it had
been one of his few “wows” at the Bank. One month later, 150 participants from
the Division then met at the Institute for Learning for almost a week. The
first half of the time was a creative leadership workshop. The second half of
the event was an opportunity to exercise that leadership in Open Space.
An example of how Open Space can catch on comes from
a Western division vice president who attended those meetings. He was excited
by the results of the small space event and the following Divisional meeting.
He took the
I have Opened the Space in other Canadian
corporations and banks over the last two years. There have been some productive
and energizing meetings: strategic plans have emerged and been implemented in
record time. The Bank of Montreal, however, has moved the farthest. I think the
following factors have contributed.
·
A culture of innovation, which encourages experimentation, has been
fostered by the chairman,
·
The Institute for Learning and
its staff have championed and supported Open Space.
·
The first use of Open Space at the Institute for Learning had a
positive impact.
·
Productivity Forum 95 had enough of an impact to
catalyze a critical mass of interest.
·
Word has been spread both through personal stories and the bank’s
internal communications system.
·
Confidence in Open Space was
supported by the Institute for Learning’s positive assessment of the
non-traditional and broad ranging Open Space outcomes.
·
Some senior and divisional executives were willing to take the risk to
set a theme and parameters and then let-go to allow self-organization to take
place.
·
Participants have found the experience of Open Space liberating and
morale boosting, and they have been willing to try it in their own settings.
·
A variety of external consultants and events helped to legitimize the
approach and build connections to the internal leadership.
As divisions begin to hold their second Open Space
meetings, the focus of the Institute for Learning is to build on what has been
learned over the past year. It wants to help the divisions harvest what is generated in Open Space. This image of harvesting
what is grown in Open Space is certainly better than trying to leverage what is
not a mechanical process. Executives and managers reap what they sow, but in
Open Space, the synergy and surprises often go beyond what is expected.
The Institute for Learning is also sharing some of
what it has discovered in its Business and Educational partnerships. One
example is the Summer Institute on Exploring Change, a forum that involves 13
School Boards in the Greater Toronto Area and now uses Open Space as part of
its approach to change.
Even with the extensive use of Open Space, the Bank
has not transformed most of its decision-making processes. The hierarchy is
suspended on occasion and old barriers are overcome. However, many decisions
are still managed with a traditional top down approach. What seems to be evolving
is the presence and acceptance of multiple structures and processes working in
the corporation at the same time.
Open Space meetings demonstrate a new form of
ongoing management. Managers can clarify focus and parameters, let go, and
engage spirited performance and frequent breakthroughs. The Bank of Montreal is
now on a journey of experiencing and exploring these possibilities.